Automobile door latch



Jan. 5 1926. 568,353

- R. L. TULLES AUTOMOBILE DOOR LATCH Filed July 9, 1.923

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Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROLAND L. TULLIS, OF MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA.

AUTQMOBILE DOOR LLATCH.

Application illed July 9,1923. Serial No. 650,309.

T all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROLAND L. TULLIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Monrovia, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile DoorLatches, of which the following is a speci: ficati'on.

My invention relates to door latches, and

more particularly to door latches applicable to motor vehicles. .l f

The primary object of my invention is to provide an automobile doorlatch which is so constructed as to hold the door closed in l5 suchfashion as to obviate vibration and rattle. i

Another object of my invention is to provide a latch in whichthe boltisl automatically held in withdrawn position when retracted, as inopening a door, and automatically released and advanced when the door iscompletely closed.

With the foregoing objects in view, to#` gether with such other objectsand advantages as may subsequently appear, my mvention resides in theconstruction and features illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, and partly in section, of mylatch applied to a door, showing the' door in closed position.

' Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, partly 1n section, of my invention as appliedto an automobile door, showing the door .in closed position. Y

Fig. 4 4-4 of Fig. 1. v

40 Fig. 5 is a top plan view, partly in section, showing a modifiedformvof handle..

Flg. 6 is a cross sectional v1ew on the luie 64-6 of Fig. 5. y

More specific-ally, 7 and 8 indicate the slde is a cross sectional viewof the line frame, which arrangement is the usual form of vauto doorconstruction. `Mounted be-V tween the door frames and secured' to theoutside door frame 7 is the latch bolt mechanism 12, which comprises a'flat plate`13 provided with screw holesl for the reception of screws14'for attaching'the plate to the-door door frames, and 9 the topsection of the.

frame. Formed integral with the plate, and extending inwardly ltherefromis a cylindr1cal casing 15 open at its forward end and 55 closed at therear by a Wall 16. Mounted for slidable movement within the casing is alatch bolt having a rounded head 17 at its forward end; the rounded headis rcduced towards the rear to form an annular shoulder 18 from whichshoulder a cylindrical portion 19 extends rearwardly.

The latch bolt is mounted and attached to a rod 42O, provided with anenlarged head 2,1 having an annular groove or recess 22, receiving a pin23 whicli passes through the walls of the cylindrical portion 19 of thebolt, and is secured thereto in any desired manner. Thus the bolt issecured to the rod and is held against lateral movement within thecasing but is free to turn. AEncirclin the rod 20 and bearing againstthe rear en of the cylindrical portion 19 and the rear wall 16 of thecylinder is a spiral spring 24, whichspring exerts a pressure againstthe cylindrical end portion of the bolt to force the bolt outwardly. Therear end of the rod 20 has an elongated slot 25 which is adapted to beengaged by and ride upon a pin 26 carried on and secured to the handle27 in any desired manner, the handle 27 being pivoted at its lower endto the plate 13 at 28, the upper end of handle extending upwardlythrough a slot provided inthe upper edge of the door. The cylinder onits circumference' toward the inner side of the door, is provided with apivoted dog 29, the dog being mounted on a pivot pin 30 which isjournaled into lugs 32 formed integral with the casing 15. To hold thedog under strained tension, the leaf spring 33 is provided, beingattached "to the inner side of the casing by a screw as at 34 or in anydesirable manner. Under the tension of the spring the dog, when free tomove, is adapted to engage the shoulder formed on the latch bolt, and asis more clearly shown in Fig. 5, tohold the bolt in retracted position.For-receiving the end of the bolt when the door is in closed position aplate is provided having a depressionor socket 36, and is attached tothe body frame. The plate 35 on its side toward the inner part of theframe is provided with an outstandinglug sides of the doorV frame, thehandles being connected by a shaft 39 whichlyis journale in bearings 40,the shaft having securely attached thereto Ya bifurcated arm 41. In theouter extremities of the bifurcated arm are provided apertures throughwhich a pin is inserted, the pin passing through an elongated slot ofthe rod and is secured to the bifurcated arms in any desired manner.

In the operation of my latch bolt, to retract the bolt, the hand leveris pulled rear wardly swinging on its pivot, and through the rod pullingthe bolt head out of its socket against the action ofthe spring. Thehandle is pulled back until the bolt has cleared the plate and socketmounted on the frame, at which time the spring acting upon the dogforces the inner end of the dog into engagement with l the shoulderformed on the bolt, when the door may be opened, the bolt being held inretracted position.

Upon closing the door or swinging it to its innermost position and thedog and bolt head will pass by the frame and socket plate luntil theouter end of the dog strikes against the lugA formed on the plate,thereby swinging the inner end of the dog outwardly from engagement withthe shoulder, whereby the bolt is forced outwardly by the action of thespring into engagement with the socket. The socket conforms to the shapeof the bolt 'head so that when the head is shot into the socket a snugengagement is formed.

Since there is a constant iiexingv or sprin ing in the frame and bod ofan automobi e which is transferred to he doors, there is alsoconstant'wear` upon the latch bolts of,

the usual type of construction. This objection is overcome by thepresent boltl which rotates in its bearing to compensate for suchmovement and thereby prevent unequal wear.

While I have shown and described a specitic embodiment of my invention,I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown, but may elnploysuch changes and modications inthe construction and arrangement of partsas come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim p 1. In a door latch, a bolt, a casing in which said bolt ismounted for rotary and longitudinal-movement, a spring for advancingsaid bolt, means for manually retracting said bolt in opposition to saidspring, an annular shoulder on saidV bolt, a spring pressed dog carriedlby saidcasing engageable with said shoulder to hold the bolt in aretracted position, a socket adapted to receive the outer end of saidbolt, and means operable being formed with a rounded head, aspring f`tor advancing said bolt, manually operable means for retracting'saidbolt, a rounded socket adaptedY to receive said rounded head when rsaidbolt is in its advanced position, and means for holding said bolt inVits retracted position operable to Yrelease said bolt on moving thebolt laterally to a position opposite said socket. a y

3. In a door latch, a bolt, a spring for advancing said bolt, manuallyoperable means for retracting said bolt, a socket adapted to receivesaid bolt when in its advanced osition, a cushion lining in said socketw1thin which cushion lining the end of the bolt is received, and meansfor holding said bolt in its retracted position operable to release saidbolt on moving the bolt laterally t'o a. position opposite said socket.

4. In a door latch, a bolt formed with 'a rounded head, manuallyoperable means for retracting said bolt, a spring for advancing saidbolt, a rounded socket adapted to receive said rounded head when saidbolt is in its advanced position, a resilient lining in said roundedsocket within which lining the end of the bolt is received, and meansfor holding said bolt in its retracted position operable to release saidbolt on moving the bolt laterally to a position opposite said socket.

5. In a door latch, a bolt mounted for rotary and longitudinal movement,said bolt being formed with a rounded head, a spring for advancing saidbolt, vmanually operable means for retracting said bolt, a rounded lllsocket adapted to receive said rounded head when said bolt is in itsadvanced position,'a resilient lining in said rounded socket, and meansfor holding said bolt in its retracted position operable tof releasesaid bolt on moving the bolt laterally to a position opposite saidsocket. i

6. In a door latch, a cylindrical casin q cylindrical bolt slidably andturnily mounted in said casing, a spring in said casing for advancingsaid bolt, a rounded socket for receiving the end of said bolt whenadvanced, and means for holding said bolt in its retracted positionoperable to release the tary and longitudinal movements and means bolton moving the bolt opposite said socket. for holding said bolt in itsretracted position 7.' In a door latch, a bolt, a spring for adandoperable to release said bolt on movl0 vancing said bolt, manuallyoperable means ing the bolt laterally to a, position opposite v 5 forretractin said bolt,`a socket adapted to said socket. receive said goltwhen in its advancedr posil 1 tion, said bolt being mounted .for bothro- ROLAND L. TULLIS.

